Taiwanese Fan Tuan (with homemade YouTiao)

Taiwanese Fan Tuan (Taiwanese Rice Roll) is a classic Taiwanese breakfast that brings back memories for many people.

Every time I return to Taiwan, the first breakfast I crave is always a warm Fan Tuan paired with freshly made soy milk. Steaming glutinous rice is wrapped around fluffy pork floss, pickled mustard greens, preserved radish, scallion omelet, and crispy homemade Youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks). Every bite is filled with the comforting flavors and nostalgia of a traditional Taiwanese breakfast.

In this video, I'm sharing how to make Taiwanese Fan Tuan completely from scratch, including homemade Youtiao. The pork floss and soy milk featured in this recipe are also homemade. Watching the Youtiao puff up into a beautiful golden brown and enjoying it alongside a freshly blended glass of soy milk truly feels like bringing a traditional Taiwanese breakfast shop into my own kitchen. One bite of Fan Tuan, one taste of Taiwan. I hope this homemade Taiwanese breakfast brings warmth, happiness, and fond memories to your table as well.

Watch step by step recipe video below:

Ingredients

Youtiao (Makes about 8 pairs or 16 pieces)

250 g all-purpose flour
140 g milk
1 egg
15 g cooking oil
6 g baking powder
2 g baking soda
3 g salt
4 g sugar

Fillings

Scallion Egg

3 eggs
20 g chopped scallions
A pinch of salt

Stir-Fried Preserved Radish

200 g diced preserved radish
1 tbsp minced garlic
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp sugar
A small amount of oil

Stir-Fried Pickled Mustard Greens

250 g pickled mustard greens
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 chili pepper, optional
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp sugar
A small amount of oil

Sticky Rice

3 rice cups long-grain glutinous rice
2 rice cups water

**Tip:**

This video uses a rice cooker to prepare the sticky rice. The result is soft with a pleasantly springy texture, which is our family’s favorite texture for fan tuan.

For a firmer, chewier texture with more distinct grains, reduce the amount of water or steam the rice instead.

Steamer method:

After soaking the glutinous rice, drain well and place it in a steamer. Steam over high heat for about 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle a small amount of water over the rice as needed during steaming to prevent the surface from becoming too dry.

Other Ingredients

Pork floss, as needed (Homemade pork floss is used in this video)
Frying oil, as needed
Parchment paper and heat-resistant plastic wrap, for wrapping the Fan Tuan

**Note**

Parchment paper is used to wrap the Fan Tuan in the video. To clearly show the layers of filling at the end, the Fan Tuan is rewrapped in heat-resistant plastic wrap before being sliced for presentation.

Preparations

Make the Youtiao

1. Mix the milk, egg, salt, sugar, and baking soda until well combined. These are the wet ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until a dough forms. Add the cooking oil, cover, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface or baking sheet. Gently press it outward with your fist, then stretch and fold the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
4. Repeat the pressing, stretching, and folding process two times in total, allowing the dough to rest for 20 minutes each time.
5. After the final rest, shape the dough into a rectangle. Place it in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
6. The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to return to room temperature before shaping.
7. Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Gently stretch the dough into a longer rectangle, then cut it into 16 equal strips, each approximately 2 cm wide and 0.5 cm thick.
8. Dip a chopstick in water and press a line down the center of half of the dough strips. Place another strip on top of each one and gently press them together.
9. Heat the frying oil to 180 to 195°C or 356 to 383°F. Gently pinch the ends of each dough pair together and stretch it slightly. Carefully place it into the hot oil and turn it continuously while frying. Fry until puffed and golden brown.

Prepare the Fillings

1. Rinse the diced preserved radish and pickled mustard greens, then soak them separately for about 10 minutes. Drain well. Finely chop the pickled mustard greens and chili pepper.
2. Place the pickled mustard greens in a dry pan without oil. Stir-fry until some of the moisture has evaporated. Add a small amount of oil, minced garlic, chili pepper, ground white pepper, and sugar. Stir-fry until evenly combined, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Using the same method, stir-fry the preserved radish in a dry pan until slightly dry. Add a small amount of oil, minced garlic, ground white pepper, and sugar. Stir-fry until evenly combined, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Whisk together the eggs, salt, and chopped scallions. Add a small amount of oil to a frying pan and cook the mixture into a thin omelet. Allow it to cool, then cut it into long strips.

Cook the Sticky Rice

1. Rinse the long-grain glutinous rice and drain well. Transfer it to the inner pot of a rice cooker.

2. If your rice cooker has a sticky rice setting, add water according to the markings inside the pot and select that setting. Otherwise, add 2 rice cups of water and cook using the regular rice setting.